Sheet pile marker



Aug. 21, 1945.

INVENTOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ee rzar SHEET PILE MARKER Filed Aug. 2, 1941 B. L.KLEINSCHMIDT' I Ma 41220 Aug. 21, 1945.

B. KLEINSCHMIDT SHEET PILE MARKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1941INVENT OR.

4 Sheets-Sheet- 3 B. KLEINSCHMIDT SHEET' PILE MARKER Filed Aug. 2. 1941Aug. 21, 1945.

Aug. 21, 1945. B. KLEINSCHMIDT SHEET PILE MARKER Filed Aug. 2, 1941 4Sheets-Sheet 4 .l grirard Wm .3 www Mai m a www i LM Patented Aug. 21,1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET PILE MARKER Bernard L.Kleinschmidt, Highland Park, Ill.

Application August 2, 1941, Serial No. 405,150

12 Claims.

This invention relatesto a machine for placing markers at predeterminedintervals between articls being stacked or grouped, and moreparticularly to a machine for placing paper marking strips or tags atpredetermined intervals between sheets delivered from a printing pressto separate the sheets into bundles or groups, each containing apredetermined number of sheets.

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine of the above statedcharacter, which is of such construction that it may be readily attachedto or incorporated in a printing press and folding machine, sheetingmachine or the like, delivering the article or sheets to a stackingdevice, table, or the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a slip or markerinserting machine capable of simple and ready adjustment to effectautomatically the insertion of the slip or marker between bundles orgroups of substantially any desired number of sheets.

The invention contemplates the provision of an electrically operableslip or marker feeding device or attachment unit, which may beoperatively associated with or attached to an existing machine orprinting press by providing the machine or press with any desired formof electric switch operated synchronously with the delivery of thearticle or sheets by the machine or press.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for feeding aweb of strip material upon the uppermost sheet of a stack of sheetsdelivered to the stack by a sheet feeding machine or printing press, andproviding means for so controlling the web feeding means as to effectthe feeding of the strip intermittently at periods determined by therate of feed of sheets to the stack; and

Further, to provide means cooperating with the web feeding means andwith said control means to cut the web of strip material afteradditional sheets, preferably of predetermined number, have been placedabove the strip, so that the strip, after bein placed upon the top sheetof the stack, will be positioned and retained in position by the web, ofwhich it forms a part until sufficient additional sheets have been addedto the stack to thereafter hold the strip in proper position. I

Other and further objects and'advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view of a printing pressequipped with a marking machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the marking machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary View in vertical section takensubstantially along the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in vertical section takensubstantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in end elevation and partly in sectiontaken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line E6 of Figure 4; I

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line ll of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation taken from. the left ofFigure '7 and substantially along the plane of line 8-8 Figure 9 is afragmentary view in Vertical section taken substantially along the line9-9 of Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary View in vertical sec tion taken along theline Ill-10 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary viewin vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line ll-ll of Figure 6 and Figure 12 is a fragmentary view invertical section taken along the line l2-l2 of Figure 11.

The machine of the present invention is for illustrative purposes shownapplied to a printing press 2 (Fig. 1) having a printed sheet deliverymechanism 4 for delivering the sheets as they are printed to a stackingdevice 6. The delivery mechanism 4 may, for example, comprise feed tapes8 driven or guided by a roller [0 at the forward end of the printingpress, the roller 10 being so disposed in relation to the stackingdevice 6 that the sheets pass directly from the forward end of the feedtapes 8 to the top of the stack of sheets upon the device 6.

The device 6 may be of any conventional character, preferably of thetype wherein the sheets 12, as they accumulate upon the stackingplatform M, cause automatically a lowering of the platform so that thetop of the stack of sheets is always at substantially the sameelevation.

The sheets so stacked are separated into bundles or reams, eachcontaining a desired number of sheets. It is customary to effect thisseparation during the feeding of the sheets to the stack by operativesstanding at the front ,of the machine, in the case of a sheetingmachine, and

counting the sheets one by one as they are delivered; or to form thestack subsequently into bundles in the case of a printing press.

A paper tag or strip is placed on the top sheet of the stack at thecompletion of each count. The accuracy of the count, however, isinherently undependable and inaccurate because of the speed at which inmodern machines the sheets are delivered to the stack, and because ofthe inherent inaccuracies of counting by visual checking. Automaticcounting and marking devices of various kinds have heretofore beenproposed but have proved unsatisfactory because of their complexity;their unsuitability for use with modern, high speed printing presses, orother high speed sheet feeding and stacking machines; their highmaintenance requirements; the high expense of their incorporation orattachment to existing machines; their difficulty of adjustment to varythe size the bundles or groups in which the stack of sheets isseparated; and for various other reasons, so that the use of operativesto mentally count the sheets as they are stacked, and to manually insertappropriate tags, is still the custom.

According to the present invention, a marking or strip feeding machineI6 is provided, which includes an impulse storing device I8 (Figs. 3 to12) operable by a switch (Fig. l), which may be of any conventionalstructure capable of ready mounting on the printing press 2 injuxtaposition to a suitable shaft 22 of the printing press, which shaft,for the purposes of this invention, may be provided with a cam 24 foroperating the switch 0 to open and close the switch in synchronism withthe feeding of the sheet I2 to the stacking mechanism 6 by tapes I ofthe printing press, the press being "on impression at the time theswitch is closed. If desired, the shaft 22 could be any shaft of theprinting press, which is driven at a speed constantly proportioned tothe speed of driving of the tapes 8, or said shaft may be supplied as anauxiliary attachment and coupled to the shaft of the tape driving orguiding roll I0 by a suitable gearing or by the belt 26.

In the case of a printing press or other machine wherein the number ofsheets fed .to the stacking device is not always proportioned to thespeed of movement of the feed tapes 8, any suitable part of the printingpress, which experiences a movement governed by the feeding of thesheets, or which is responsive to the feeding of the sheets, may beadapted by means of suitable links, gearing, or other motiontransmitting mechanisms, to this operation of the control switch 20; ora suitable photo-electric control arrangement whereon the sheets controlthe light to the cell may be-used; each to efiect closure of the switchsimultaneously with the feeding of a sheet to the stacking device, andto reset the switch for subsequent operation upon the passage of thenext succeeding sheet to the stacking device.

The impulse storing device I8 comprises a pair of ratchets 28 and 30,the ratchet 28 being of greater diameter than the ratchet 30. Each ofthe ratchets is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced notches oropenings 32 Or 33 (Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11) extending inwardly fromthe periphery of the ratchet, and on one face of each ratchet there isprovided for certain of the notches 32 and 33 control plates 34adjustably mounted as, for example, by means of a pair of screws 35threaded into the ratchet and passing through slots 38 in the plate 34.Each plate 34 may, there fore, assume one of two positions, in one ofwhich the outer edge 40 of the plate forms an edge surface connectingwith the ratchet teeth on opposite sides of the notch or opening 32 or33, and in the other of which the control plate uncovers the notch oropening 32 or 33, and the outer edge 40 of the plate extends flush with,or inwardly of, the bottom edge 42 of the notch. The ratchets 28 and 30are journaled on a stud 44 (Fig. 6) mounted on an upstanding wall 46 ofa housing 48 as by means of a reduced threaded end portion 50 passingthrough the wall 46 and receiving a clamping nut 52. The ratchets areheld against inadvertent movement on the stud 44 by a pair of corrugatedresilient washers 54 and 56, and spaced by a collar 58 keyed to the stud44 and pressing the ratchets into frictional engagement against a collarSI pinned to the stud, and against a washer 62 clamped against ashoulder formed on the stud by means of a reduced threaded cnd part 64receiving a clamping nut 68.

The stud 44 pivotally receives a boss or hub 6| of a lever arm Ill(Figs, 3 to 9 and 11), and a bushing 12 (Fig. 6) mounted on the stud isinterposed between the wall 46 of the housing 48 and the hub 68 to holdthe lever 10 against axial movement relative to the stud. A relativelywide or broad pawl 14 is pivoted to the outer free end of the lever 18and extends over both ratchets 28 and 30 and is urged inwardly by aspring 15. The ratchet 28 being of larger diameter, the ratchet pawl 14does not engage the teeth of the ratchet 30, except when the tooth 16 ofthe pawl registers with a notch 32 in the ratchet 28. The pawl 14 ismoved forwardly or in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figures3, 4, 'l, 9 and 11, to advance the ratchet 28 one step, and backward] toengage the next following tooth of the ratchet 28 by means of aneccentric comprising a link 18 (Figs. 4 to 8) having an eccentric strapportion journaled on a disk 82 (Figs. 6 to 8) eccentrically mounted on ashaft 84. The eccentric disk 82 is fitted between and riveted orotherwise fastened to a pair of complementary disks '6 and 88. The shaft-84 is journaled in bushings and 92 mounted in the side wall 46 of thehousing 48 and the forwardly extending wall 94 of a bracket 96 fastenedto the rear wall 9| of the housing 48. A pawl control arm 39 is formedon the collar 60 and extends beyond the ratchet to governthe engagementof the pawl with the ratchet 28. By angular adjustment of the collar,the arm is set to prevent the pawl from feeding the ratchet 28 more thanone tooth when the ratchet is replaced by one of a different number ofteeth.

A motor I00 (Figures 2 and 3), bolted to the rear wall 98 of thehousing, drives the shaft 8! by means of a worm I02 secured to the motorshaft and a worm wheel I04 secured to the inner end of the shaft 84. Theshaft 84 frictionally drives the eccentric through a positioning collarI06 (Figs. 5 and 6) pinned to the shaft, a corrugated, resilient washerI08 interposed between the collar I06 and a driving disk I I8, splinedto the shaft and a washer 'I I2 of felt or other frictional materialinterposed between the disk H0 and the outer face of the disk 88 of theeccentric.

The eccentric is locked against movement by a. pawl I I4 (Figs. 4 and 7)pivoted on a stud shaft I I6 and formed with a rearwardly extending armH8, which is connectedby means of a link IZll to a lever I22 raised by arelay or solenoid I24. The lever I22 is pivoted to the frame of thesolenoid as at I26 (Fig. 4) and is moved to lowered position by a springI28, which spring thereafter acts to hold the pawl I I4 in lockingengagement with a notch I39 (Fig. '1) in the periphery of the disk 86 ofthe eccentric. Th'e relay I24 is controlled by the switch 28 (Fig. 1) sothat it is energized in synchronism with the feeding of each sheet tothe stacking device 6 through a circuit, shown schematically in Figure1, which extends from the supply line LI through a, wire I32, a wireI34, the relay I24 (Fig. 4), a wire I36, the switch 28, the Wire I38,and the wire I48 to the supply line L2. The motor I88, as schematicallyindicated in Figure 1, is connected by wires I42 and I44 to the supplylines LI and L2 through the wires I32 and I48.

The pawl I14 i normally urged into locking engagement with the notch I39in the disk 86 of the eccentric by a coil spring I46 (Fig. 5), which issecured at opposite ends to collars I48 and I58 pinned to the stud shaftH6 and padding intermediately above the arm II8 of the pawl so as tonormally urge this arm downwardly and thereby urge the pawl. upwardly,as seen in Figure 7.

Thus the impulse storing mechanism I8 is operated in synchronism withthe feeding of the sheets to the stacking device 6, and the relay I24 ofthis mechanism, when energized, releases the pawl II 4 from the lockingnotch I39 of the disk 86 of the eccentric, which thereupon isfrictionally driven by the continuously operating driving 1 shaft 84 toeffect a counterclockwise orfeeding movement of the pawl 14. Where theratchet 28 is provided with four equiangularly spaced notches 32, and isfurther provided with four radially directed pawl engaging toothportions between each adjacent pair of notches, a notch 32 of thisratchet will register with the pawl on the completion of each fourthreturn movement of the pawl, so that, upon each fifth movement of thepawl in a counterclockwise or feeding direction, the tooth 16 of thepawl will simultaneously engage the teeth of the ratchets 28 and 38.Where the ratchet 38 is similarly provided with four equiangularlyspaced notches 33 and with four radially directed pawl engaging toothportions between adjacent notches 33, the pawl, upon completion of eachfourth return movement, will, unless prevented by the ratchet 28,register with a notch 33 in the ratchet 38. It will be evident of coursethat the ratchets 28 and 38 may be provided with any desired number ofteeth and with any desired number of notches 32 and 33, depending uponthe requirements of the particular installation. The ratchets 28 and 38may obviously, if desired, have different numbers of teeth, dependingupon the requirements of the installation.

In the device shown for illustrative purposes it is assumed that in theparticular installation chosen for this purpose it may be required toseparate or mark sheets into bundles of not less than twenty-five sheetsand not more than four hundred sheets, and it is furthermore requiredthat between these limits, bundles of sheets differing in the numberofsheets by five or more, be provided. Hence, the ratchets 28 and 38 areshown in the drawings as each being provided with sixteen teeth, fournotches 32 or 33 (forming four additional teeth), and three adjustablecontrol plates 34 for the ratchet 28 and three such plates for theratchet 38.

The ratchets 28 and 38 control, upon the storage of a number of impulsesequal to the number of sheets desired in each bundle, at strip feedingdevice I52 (Figs. 4, 5 and 11) and a cutting mech-,

anism I54 (Figs. 3 to 5 and 9) for cutting the marker strips from theweb of strip material after it has been fed-by the device I52 upon thetopmost sheet of the stack in the stacking device 6.

The strip feeding device I52 comprises a roller I56, having a knurledperiphery, and mounted on the shaft 84. The roller I56 passes through aslot I58 (Figs. 11 and 12) in a strip feeding track I68 into drivingengagement with the strip material in the track. IA. roller I62 carriedon the upper end of a lever I64 secured to the sleeve I66 (Fig. 2)journaled on a pin I68 (Figs. 4 and 11) is constantly urged downwardlyby a spring I18 fixed at one end and secured at the other to an arm I12formed integrally with the sleeve I66. The spring-pressed roller I62maintains the strip in frictional driving engagement with the knurledperiphery of the roller I56.

The feed roller I56 is pinned to a disk I14 (Figs. 5, 6 and 12) theroller and disk.being in face-toface engagement with washers I 18 andI88 of felt or other suitable frictional material. A metal driving diskI82, splined to shaft 84, is interposed between the felt washer I18 anda collar I84 pinned to the shaft 84. A similar metal driving disk I83splined to shaft 84 engages washer I88. The disk I14 is provided with aperipheral locking notch I86 (Fig. 11) for reception of the lockingtooth I89 of a pawl I98 journaled on the stud I I6 between collars I92and I94 (Figs. 5 and 6) pinned to said stud. Thepawl I 98 is providedwith a tail piece I96 (Figs. 4, 7 and 11) in juxtaposition to theratchet 28 and in position to be engaged by the tooth 16 of the pawl 14when, after registering with a pair of alined notches 32 and 33 in theratchets 28 and 30, the pawl then moves forwardly to move both ratchets.Accordingly, when notches 32 and 33 of the ratchets 28 and 38 are alinedand register with the tooth 16 of the pawl 14 (neither notch beingcovered by a control plate 34), the pawl I98 will be operated upon theneXt forward'movement of the pawl 14, thereby releasmg th disk I14 andits attached strip feeding roller I56 for driving by the continuouslyrotating shaft 84. The roller I56 is frictionally driven by the shaft84, the disk I82, the felt washer I18, the disk I83 and the felt washerI88. The resilient corrugated washer I88 maintains the felt washer I18in sufiicient frictional engagement with the disk I 14 and the disk I82,and the disk I83 in sufiicient frictional engagement with the washer I88to effect this drivin of the feed roller I56. The web of strip materialis fed from a roll I98 (Fig. 3) carried by a roller 288 journaled inspaced depending brackets 282 (of which one only is shown in thedrawings) fastened to the bottom wall 284 of the housing 48. The web ofstrip material passes from the roll I98 over a tensioning roller 286carried by a depending lever .288 secured in a bracket 2| 8 fastened tothe rear wall 98 of the housing 48. A spring 2 I4 is secured to one ofthe brackets 282 and at the other end to the lever 288, and urges theroller 286 inwardly to tension the Web of strip material. From theroller 286 the web of strip material passes about a guide roller 2| 6secured to the bracket 2!!! and spaced inwardly from the rear wall 98 ofthe housing, and then about a similar guide roller 2 I 8 carried by abracket 228 fastened to the rear wall 98 at the upper rear corner of thehousing, the roller 2I8 being so positioned that the web of stripmaterial passes from the roller in the plane of .the track I68 and alongthe track to the forward end thereof. The track I68 may be secured inany convenient manner to the upper edge of the rear wall 88 of thehousing, and to the upper edge of an L-shaped bracket 222 fastenedto.the side wall 46 of the housing 48 at the forward upper end of saidwall.

The strip cutting. mechanism I54 comprises a kni e r hearin blade 24(Figs. 2 to 5. and. a). ope on with the forward face or surface 226 ofthe bracket 222 to cut astrip, fed upon the topmost sheet of the stackof sheets in the stacking device 8, from the web of strip material. Theknife 224 is operated by av cam 228 (Figs. 4 to 6 and 9) through alinkage system commising a lever 238. pivoted intermediately on a stud232 bolted to the side wall 48.01? the housing and a flexible strap orlink 234 pivotally secured at its upper end to the free end of the knife224, and provided at. its lower end with an enlarged opening forreceiving the reduced shank of a cap. screw 238 threaded into theinturned end 238 of the lever 230. The knife 224 is pivoted at its otherend to the bracket 222 as by a cap screw 24!.

The cam 228 is mounted on the shaft 84 between a pair of disks 242 and244 to which it is pinncd, the disks 242 and 244 being of greaterdiameter than the cam 228, so that the disks re ceive between them thefree end of the lever 230 to form a guide for the lever in its up anddown movements. The disk 242 engages a friction washer 245 and the disk244 engages a similar friction washer 246. The friction washer 246 isinterposed between the disk 244 and the metal disk 248 which alsoengages a friction washer 250 interposed between said disk 248 and thedisk 86 of the eccentric which drives the pawl 14, the disk 245 beingsplined to the shaft 84. Thus it will be seen that the cam will befrictionaliy driven by the shaft 84 through the disk I83, thefrictionwasher I80, and the disk 242, and will also be driven by theshaft 84 through the disk 248, the friction washer 248 and the disk 244.

The disk 24?. is provided with a peripheral locking notch 252 (Figs. 4and 9) for the reception of the locking teeth 254 and 258 of pa-Wls 258and 268. Thepawls. 258 and 260 are journaled on the stud IIB between thecollar I94 (Figs. and 6) and the similar collar I58 also pinned to saidstud, and a washer 262 is interposed on the stud IIB between the pawls258 and 260. The pawl 26!] is provided above the stud III; with alaterally extending lug 264 (Figs. 4 and 9) for engagement by anoperating pin 246 secured to the inner face of the strip feeding rollerI58.

The pawl 258 is provided with a depending tail piece 288 extending belowthe stud H6 in juxtaposition to the ratchet 28 for engagement with andoperation by one'of four pins 218 secured to the ratchet 28. The pin 210are secured to the, ratchet 28 in such angular relation to the notches32 that a pin will engage the tail piece 268 of the pawl 258 at acertain predetermined interval after the strip has been fed to thetopmost sheet of the stack so that, during this interval, apredetermined number of sheets will be fed to the stack and positionedabove the strip before the strip is cut from the web. This preventdisplacement or discharge of the strips by the subsequently fed sheet orsheets.

In the machine shown in the drawings the pins 210 are positioned so thatone pin will engage the tail piece 268 and operate the pawl 258 as afourth sheet is placed above the lastfed strip and the pawl 14 is movedforwardly for the fourth time, following the feeding of the strip by thefeed roller I 56.

The pawls I88, 258 and 260 are urged into look. ing position by means ofsprings 212, 214 and 218, respectively (Fig. 6), each secured at one endto one of the collars pinned to the stud H8, and bearing at its oppositeend against its respective pawl.

The strip feeding and cutting or marking machine I l may be supported inany desired mannor, as upon a platform 218 (Fig. 1) having a dependingrod 280 adjustably telescoping with a tube 282' of the standard 284, sothat the paper feed track I68 may readily be adjusted to the properelevation for the feeding of the strip upon the topmost sheet of thestack of sheets in the stacking device 6.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The motor I08. operatescontinuously. As each sheet is fed upon thestacking device the switch 20(Fig. l) is closed by the cam 24 to energize the solenoid [24. (Fig. 4)through the circuit previously described. The solenoid I24 raises thelever I22 to swing the pawl H4 in a counterclockwise direction. from thefull line position of Figure 7 to the dotted line position, wherein thedisk 86 of the eccentric is released, whereupon the eccentric disk 82 isfrictionally driven by the shaft 84. The eccentric disk 82 is normallypositioned, as shown in the dotted lines in Figure 7 and, accordingly,during the first half of its revolution causes the pawl 14 to move in acounterclockwise direction, the pawl first engaging a radially directedtooth portion of the ratchet 28, and then moving the ratchet an angulardistance equal to one tooth against the frictional braking force of thespring washer 54. The operation of the, machine will of course beoriginally initiated (as shown in Fig. 3) with the tooth 16 of the pawl14 in position to engage, on its forward movement, the first radiallydirected tooth portion of the ratchet 28 following a notch 32, thecornpanion notches 32, and 33 of the ratchcts 2B and 30 being inalinement. It may be assumed that it is desired to place a strip betweeneach group of twenty-five sheets and, in accordance with thisassumption, all of the control plates 34 will be adjusted to theirinnermost radial positions uncovering all of the notches 32 and 33 inthe ratchets 28 and 311'; and, consequently, after four sheets have beenplaced in the stacking device and the pawl. 14 completes its fourthreturn movement. (as shown in Fig. 4) it will fall into a notch 32 inthe ratchet 28 and rest upon a land of the ratchet 30 behind that firstradially directed tooth portion of this ratchet 38 which follows thenotch 33 that was originally alined with a notch 32 of the ratchet 28just in advance of the pawl 14. Therefore, when the fifth sheet has beenfed to the stacking device and the pawl is moved for the fifth time inits forward direction, both ratchets 28 and 30 will be moved in acounterclockwise direction a distance of one tooth.

Similarly, following the placing of the tenth, fifteenth, and twentiethsheet on the stack, the pawl 14 will operate both ratchets. Followingthe twenty-fourth return movement of the pawl 14 after having fed theratchet 28 forwardly for the twenty-fourth time, the tooth 16 of thepawl will register with and fall into a pair of alined notches 32 and 33in the ratchets 28 and 38 (as shown in Fig. 7) and the tooth of thepawl, being thereby permitted to move inwardly a sufficient distance,will, alter the twenty-fifth sheet has been placed on the stack, and asthe pawl makes its twenty-fifth forward movement, engage the rear edgeof the tail piece I96 of the pawl I80,

thereby moving this pawl in a clockwise direction,

as seen in Figure 11, to release the locking disk I14 of the stripfeeding device I52.

Since the pawl 14 moves forwardly during the first half of therevolution of the eccentric disk '82 and moves rearwardly during thesecond half of the revolution of this eccentric disk, the pawl ISO isreleased from the pawl I4 before the locking disk I14 and the paper feedroller I56 have completed a ful revolution. The pawl I90 is,accordingly, positioned to be projected by its spring 212 into thelocking notch I86, as the roller I55 and disk I14 complete onerevolution. The paper feed roller I56, as it rotates, causes the pin 286carried thereby to engage the lug 264 of the pawl 260 to move this pawlin a clockwise direction from the position of Fig. 4 to the position ofFig. 9, thereby releasing this pawl from the disk 242 of the cutterdriving mechanism. The locking tooth 254 of the pawl 258 is positionedslightly in advance of the locking tooth 256 of the pawl 26!), andhence, upon release of the pawl 260 from the disk 242, the disk is moveduntil the radial edge of the locking notch 252 is engaged by the tooth254 of the pawl 258. The cutter operating cam 228 is so designed that,during this slight movement, no movement of the lever 230 is eifected.As the pin 256 passes the lug 264, the pawl 260 is released but thelooking tooth 256 of this pawl does not fall into the locking notch 252,but engages the periphery of the disk 242 because this notch, by theslight rotation of the disk 242, has been moved beyond the locking tooth256.

After a desired number of sheets of the next group have beensuperimposed on the strip, a pin 210 of the pins carried by the ratchet28 will, on the forward movement of the pawl I4, engage the tail piece268 of the pawl 258 to rotate this pawl in a clockwise direction fromthe full line position to the dotted line position of Figure 9. The pawl260 having been previously released from the disk 242, the release ofthe pawl 258 permits the driving of the disk 242. The cam 228 therebyefiects movement of the lever 238 in a counterclockwise direction fromthe full to the dotted line position of Figure 9, an the cutter blade224 is thereby lowered to sever the strip placed on the stack of sheetsfrom the web of strip material.

The feed roller I56 being stationary during the operation of the cuttermechanism, the pawl 260 is released during the movement of the disk 242,and is accordingly positioned for reception in the locking notch 252 ofthe disk as said disk completes one revolution. This insures stoppage ofthe disk 242 and prevents re-operation of the cutter mechanism, even ifthe locking tooth 254 of the pawl 258 be held released for a periodgreater than one revolution of the disk 242. The pawl 260 preventsoperation of the cutter mechanism prior to the operation of the stripfeeding device I52, even though a pin or pins 210 secured to the ratchetoperate the pawl 258 before the pawl I90 is operated to release the feedroller I55. When the ratchets are initially set, asin Figure 3, a pin210 will operate the latch 258 after nine, fourteen, nineteen, andtwenty-four sheets have been fed to the stack, but this operation of thepawl 258 will not efiect a release of the cutter drive mechanism becausethe disk 242 thereof the strip feeding roller I56 has by this time beenoperated, the release of the pawl 258 at this time effects a release ofthe cutter drive mechanism and hence an operation of the cutter.

Thus, the strips will be out each time when four or more sheets havebeen superimposed upon the last fed marking strip.

When it is desired to separate the sheets into groups or bundles of morethan twenty-five sheets, the control plates 34 carried by the ratchets28 and. 30 may be adjusted to cover its, or their, corresponding notch,or notches 32 and/or 33. For example, if the control plates 34associated with a pair of opposite notches 32 of the ratchet 28 areadjusted to cover those notches, fifty sheets will be fed to the stackbetween operations of the feed roller I56. In the illustrative exampleshown in the drawings, the ratchet 28 is provided with twenty teeth andthe ratchet 30 is provided with twenty teeth. The maxi-' mum number ofsheets which may be formed into a bundle is, accordingly, four hundredfor in each revolution of the ratchet 28 the ratchet 30 must be operatedat least one tooth, and one operation of the feed roller must occurduring each revolution of the ratchet 38.

It will be evident that where desired a broader operating pawl I4 andthree or more ratchets may be employed, in which case the ratchets wouldsuccessively be of smaller diametersthe third ratchet being smaller thanthe second, the fourth smaller than the third, and so on. Thus, it willbe seen that, by employing the principles of the invention, the machinemay be designed to form bundles each having more than four hundredsheets if desired.

If it should be desired to separate the sheets into bundles of less thantwenty-five sheets, the ratchet 30 may be removed from the stud 44. Insuch case the pawl I4 operates the locking pawl I of the feeding deviceI52 each time that the nose of the pawl is received in a recess 32 ofthe ratchet 28. If the ratchet 28 be provided with four equally spacedpins 210, as previously described, bundles having as few as five sheetseach may be formed, and by adjustment of the control plate 34 of theratchet 28, bundles having ten or twenty sheets each may be formed.

It will be further evident, of course, that the ratchets 28 and 35 mayhave different numbers of teeth, and that both of the ratchets may haveany desired number of equiangularly spaced peripheral notches. Forexample, the ratchet 38 may have forty teeth and, if each of theratchets is provided with four equally spaced notches, the markingstrips may be fed-at such intervals as to separate the sheets intobundles of from fifty to eight hundred sheets each, ,while utilizingonly two ratchets. Further, by way of example, each ratchet might beprovided with sixteen teeth (four teeth being provided by four notches)to form bundles each having sheets in number a multiple of four and fromsixteen to two hundred and fifty-six sheets each. Further, by way ofadditional example, the ratchets 28 and 30, having twenty teeth each,may each be provided with five equally spaced peripheral notches toprovide with five equally spaced peripheral notches to provide a finerdegree of adjustment of the machine in respect to the number of sheetsin each bundle.

It will be seen from the foregoing that appli cant has provided a stripfeeding and cutting or marking machine, which is of such constructionthat it is readily attachable to an existing mavchine or printing press,delivering the sheets to a stacking device, table, or the like, andwhich is capable of simple and ready adjustment to effect automaticallythe insertion of a slip or marker between bundles or groups ofsubstantially any desired number of sheets within predetermined limits;and wherein means is provided for so controlling a means feeding a webof strip material as to effect the feeding of the strip intermittentlyat periods determined by the numbers of sheets delivered to the stack;and wherein means is provided in cooperation with the web feeding meansand its control means to cut the marking strips from the web afterplacing the strips upon the top sheet of the stack, so that said stripis positioned and retained in position by the web'until sufficientadditional sheets have been superimposed upon the strip to hold thestrip in proper position.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangements of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingan of its advantages and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fairly fall Within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sheet pile marker comprising means for feeding a web of markingmaterial to the pile, continuously operated means for actuating said webfeeding means, releasablemeans for'normally holding said web feedingmeans against actuation by said actuator means a counter, means operatedsynchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile for operatingsaid counter and controlled by said counter for releasing said h0ldingmeans after a predetermined number oishcets have been fed to the pile,means for cutting a marker from the web of marking material, and

means for actuating said cutting means after a number of sheets havebeen fed to the pile above the last placed marker.

2. A sheet pile marker comprising pawl and ratchet means operatedsynchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile, the ratchethaving a plurality of angularly spaced peripheral notches permittinginward movement of the pwwl, marker feeding means, means for controllingthe operation of the marker feeding means and including mechanismpositioned for actuation by the pawl and ratchet means when the pawl isreceived in one of the notches of the ratchet, and means for selectivelycoverin said notches to prevent inward movement of the pawl intoselected ones of said notches.

3. A sheet pile marker comprising pawl and ratchet means operatedsynchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile, said meanscomprising a pair of ratchets each having a plurality of angularlyspaced peripheral notches, One of said ratchets being larger indiameter'tlian the other and permitting inward movement of the pawl whenregistering with a notch of the larger ratchet to engage the teeth ofthe smaller ratchet, notches in the ratchets when aligned permittingfurther inward movement of the pawl, marker feeding means, means forcontrolling the operation of the marker feeding means includin mechanismpositioned for actuation by the pawl and ratchet means upon inwardmovement of the pawl in aypair of aligned notches in the ratchets, andmeans for selectively covering the notches in the ratchets to"adjustably predetermine the operationof said mechanism in accordancewith the number of sheets fed to the pilev 4. A sheet pile markercomprising marker feeding means, a continuously driven shaft foractuating said marker feeding means, releasable means for locking saidmarker feeding means against actuation by said shaft, pawl and ratchetmeans adapted to be actuated by said shaft, releasable means for lockingsaid pawl and ratchet means against actuation by said shaft, meansoperated synchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile forreleasing said last mentioned locking means, said pawl and ratchet meansincluding a ratchet having a notch permitting inward movement of thepawl periodically after a given number of actuations of said pawl andratchet means, and means for locking the marker feeding means againstactuation including mechanism positioned for actuation by said pawl andratchet means upon inward movement of the pawl in the notch in theratchet.

5. A sheet pile marker comprising means for feeding a web of markingmaterial, a continuously driven shaft for actuating said web feedingmeans, a first releasable means for locking said web feeding meansagainst actuation by said shaft, means 'actuatable by said shaft forcutting a marker from the web, a second releasable means for lockingsaid cutting means against actuation by said shaft, pawl and ratchetmeans actuatable by said shaft, a third releasable means for lockingsaid pawl and ratchet means against actuation by said shaft, meansoperated synchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile forreleasing said third locking means, said pawl and ratchet meansincluding a ratchet having a pcripheral notch permitting inward movementof the pawl following a predetermined number of actuations of the pawland ratchet means, the first releasable locking means includingmechanism positioned for actuation by said pawl and ratchet means uponinward movement of the pawl in the notch in the ratchet, and meansoperated by the pawl and ratchet means for subsequently actuating saidsecond locking means to release said cutting means for actuation by saidshaft.

6. A sheet pile marking machine comprising electric switch means adaptedto be attached to a sheet feeding machine and adapted for making andbreaking a circuit 'in synchronism with the feeding of the sheets tothepile, a solenoid inserted in said switch circuit, an actuator, anelectric motor for continuously driving said actuator, marker feedingmeans, friction drive means interconnecting said actuator and saidmarker feeding means, releasable means for locking said marker feedingmeans against actuation by said actuator through said friction drivemeans, impulse storing mechanism, a second friction drive meansinterconnecting said'impulse storing mechanism with said actuator, asecond releasable means for locking said impulse storing mechanismagainst actuation by said actuator through said second friction drivemeans, means operated by said solenoid for releasing said second lockingmeans periodically in synchronism with the feeding of the sheets to thepile, and means controlled by said impulse storing mechanism forperiodically releasing the first locking means at intervalspredetermined by the number of impulses stored in the impulse storingmechanism.

7. A sheet pile markercomprising an actuator, an'electric motorcontinuously driving said actuator, a solenoid, the circuit of which isperiodically energized in synchronism with the feeding of the sheets tothe pile, a marker feeding roll, a friction clutch interconnecting saidmarker feeding roll with the actuator, a first pawl for locking saidmarker feeding roll against actuation, a second, swinging pawl, meansincluding a second friction clutch interconnecting said second pawl withsaid actuator, means released by said solenoid for locking said secondpawl against actuation by the actuator through the second frictionclutch, means adapted to be engaged by said second pawl for releasingthe first pawl, ratchet means for normally holding said second pawl outof engagement with said first pawl releasing means and formed to permitat predetermined intervals movement of the second pawl intoengagementwith said first pawl releasing means.

8. A sheet pile marker comprising an actuator, an electric motor forcontinuously driving said actuator, a solenoid, the circuit of which isperiodically energized and deenergized in synchronism with the feedingof the sheets to the pawl, a feeding roll for feeding a web of markingmaterial-to the pile, a cutter for cutting a marker from the web,friction clutch means interconnecting said roll and said cutter withsaid actuator, a first pawl for locking said roll against actuation, asecond, driving pawl, means including said friction clutch means forinterconnecting said actuator with said driving pawl, means releasableby said solenoid for locking said driving pawl against actuation, meanspositioned to engage said driving pawl for releasing said first pawl,ratchet means for preventing engagement of said driving pawl with saidfirst pawl releasing means, said ratchet means being formed to permitengagement of said driving pawl with said first pawl releasing means atpredetermined intervals, means for locking said cutter againstactuation, means operated by said ratchet means at predeterminedintervals after engagement of the first pawl releasing means by thedriving pawl for releasing the cutter locking means.

9. A sheet pile marker comprising an actuator, a electric motor forcontinuously driving said actuator, a solenoid, the circuit of which isperiodically energized and deenergized in synchronism with the feedingof the sheets to the pile,

a feeding roll for feeding a web of marking material to the pile, acutter for cutting a marker from the web, friction clutch meansinterconnecting said roll and said cutter with said actuator, a firstpawl for locking said roll against actuation, a second, driving pawl,means including said friction. clutch means for interconnecting saidactuator with said driving pawl, means releasable by said solenoid forlocking said driving pawl against actuation, means positioned to engagesaid driving pawl for releasing said first pawl, ratchet means forpreventing engagement of said driving pawl with said first pawlreleasing means, said ratchet means being formed to permit engagement ofsaid driving pawl with said first pawl releasing means at predeterminedintervals, means for locking said cutter against actuation, said cutterlocking means comprising a third pawl operated by said feeding roll, anda fourth pawl positioned for operation by said ratchet means atpredetermined intervals after the engagement of the first pawl releasingmeans by the driving pawl.

10. A sheet pile marker comprising means for feeding a web of markingmaterial to a pile, continuously operated means for actuating said webfeeding means, releasable means for normally holding said web feedingmeans against actuation by said actuating means, a counter, a pawloperated synchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile foroperating said counter, and means for releasably actuating said holdingmeans and positioned to be engaged and operated by said pawl, saidcounter including means for holding said pawl out of engagement withsaid last mentioned actuating means and constructed to permit said pawlto engage said last mentioned actuating means after a predeterminednumber of sheets have been fed to the pile.

11. A sheet pile marker comprising an impulse storing mechanism operatedin synchronism with the feeding of the sheets to a pile, web feedingmeans controlled by said mechanism for intermittently feeding a web ofmarking material to the pile at intervals predetermined by the number ofsheets fed to the pile, means for cutting a marker from the web ofmarking material, a member operated by said impulse storing mechanismand controlling said cutting means to render said cutting meanseffective after a predetermined number of sheets have been fed to thepile above the web, and a member operated by said web feeding means andcontrolling said cutting means to prevent operation of said cuttingmeans except after the feeding of the web of marking material to thepile and to permit said cutting means to be rendered effective by themember operated by the impulse storing mechanism after the web ofmarking material has been fed to the pile.

12. A sheet pile marker comprising pawl and ratchet means operatedsynchronously with the feeding of the sheets to the pile, the ratchethaving a peripheral notch permitting inward radial movement of the pawl,means for feeding a web of marking material to the pile, means forcutting a marker from the web of marking material, means for controllingthe operation of the web feeding means and including a shiftable memberpositioned for engagement and operation by the pawl and ratchet meanswhen the pawl is received in the notch in the ratchet whereby to controlthe operation of the web feeding means in accordance with the number ofsheets fed to the pile, means operating said cutting means, and a pairof shiftable members operatively connected to said operating means torender said operating means effective or ineffective to operate saidcutting means, one of said members being controlled by said web feedingmeans and the other being controlled by said pawl and ratchet means tomaintain said operating means ineffective to operate said cutting meansexcept following the feeding of the web of marking material to the pileandto render said operating means effective after a predetermined numberof sheets have been fed to the pile over the uncut web of markingmaterial.

BERNARD L. KLEINSCI-IMIDT.

